Nazi myth

I am astonished that your article by Nick Pisa (12 March) should state as a fact that the bombing of Dresden in February 1945 "led to 500,000 civilian deaths". Even Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels claimed only half that number. The civilian population of Dresden was only 350,000.

Modern historians, after meticulous study of Allied and German records, believe the true figure was about 30,000 deaths and that Goebbels invented the "hundreds of thousands" figure as pure propaganda: it was a successful ploy, and many round the world swallowed the lie.

It has taken much careful research to demonstrate the truth. Some time ago, indeed, your paper reported fully the authoritative work of David Stafford, which concluded that the true figure was below 30,000. Despite this work, neo-Nazis still march in Germany each February to repeat the lie.

Of course, the loss of 30,000 lives is a tragedy. However, Dresden was the seventh largest city in Germany. It was a huge industrial centre manufacturing arms, munitions and poison gas. Due to its cultural importance, the Allies did not bomb it before 1945. As a direct result, the Germans were using it as a rest and recreation centre for their troops retreating from the Soviet advance. It was also on the main route for reinforcing the Wermacht on the Eastern front.

The war had still to be won and people were dying by the thousand on battlefields and in concentration camps because the Germans refused to surrender, even though most knew that the war was lost.

Young people will fail to understand the wickedness of Nazi aggression and cruelty if newspapers continue uncritically to peddle Goebbels' lies.

JOHN McCLUSKEY

Lansdowne Crescent

Edinburgh